TRiNiTY Brewing Super Juice Solution

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In case you have been living under a rock in Columbus, Ohio, TRiNiTY. Brewing is the new kid in town. An esteemed and much-lauded brewery out of Colorado Springs, we are very excited to have them here. We haven't made it out to any of the launch parties -- yet! We do plan to hit at least a couple over the weekend. You know, kid and work schedule bullshit that comprise our daily lives. If you make it out to one and happen to snap a pic with Saison Man himself, Captain of the Pirate Ship at TRiNiTY, load it to your favorite social media site using the tag #selfieswithSaisonMan. Because why the hell not??? 

So there I stood, gazing upon the TRiNiTY selection at my favorite bottle shop, having decided to make one last stop on the way home to get my kid from school. I hadn't enjoyed any of the offerings at this particular location, although I loved both the Chilly Waters and Elektrick Cucumbahh. And by "loved", I mean that I fucking crushed so hard on both of those beers, as different as they are. Both are excellent examples of their respective styles, and with such funky yet understated yeast that perfectly complemented each beer. I ended up selecting the Super Juice Solution, well, because we are avowed hopheads and love our IPAs. If you have been following us for any amount of time, you should recall that Nathan has created a deity solely to glorify hops, Hopsus. 

So, this Super Juice Solution intrigues me greatly. I have enjoyed the couple of sour IPAs I have had. This one is aged on Lactobacillus delbrueckii (you might know it better as yogurt bacteria), which should lend a lovely pucker to the mouth. Insert Jamie Lee Curtis discussing her regularity here. This is a lovely pale orange color, with about a half inch of tightly laced white head. There are some yeast rafts of sediment floating throughout my portion, which is not surprising. The aroma on this is fanfuckingtastic. Floral and tropical hops (think a lot of ruby grapefruit) meld with a sharp contrast of sour apple in the nose. Drinking it, notes of peach, ruby grapefruit, passionfruit, pineapple, mango, and yes, barnyard come in to play. I expected the barnyard to lend more of an offensive flavor than I am getting from this; instead, it is faint and complementary. All of the flavors complement each other rather nicely. It is an especially juicy IPA, with no pine or bitter grapefruit to it at all. Hell, I bet this would be a killer IPA without the lacto and barnyard, but with it, it is elevated to a whole other level of interesting. The body on this is moderately thin, which doesn't surprise me, considering it is rather sessionable at 4.1% ABV. That being said, it's not nearly as thin or watery as so many session IPAs tend to be. Carbonation on this was moderately high, also about what should be expected, without being a bottle bomb. 

Overall, this is rather well done. I am looking forward to trying Red Swingline, which is another sour IPA from TRiNiTY, and the entire Swingline series. As well as anything else I can get my hands on from them. Hell yes. Oh, and do yourself a favor. In case you didn't know, absolutely do NOT pour this (or any beer from TRiNiTY) into a Boston shaker pint glass. Not only will you incur the wrath of Jason, but worse, you stand to lose out on the beautiful aromas that are present in this beer (and most other beers). 

4.75/5 caps

-Jennie

We enjoyed the Elektrick Cucumbahh with the guys from Zaftig last night. Zaftig makes BIG beers, but this saison was interesting. General consensus was interesting- unlike anything else on the market. The nose is not what the flavor reveals. The nose is off-putting for some (myself included), but the flavor was a fresh burst of Summertime memories with fresh, crisp cucumbers, slight esters that lent themselves perfectly to the flavor concoction that was the Elektrick Cucumbahh.That was my first TRiNiTY brew. Tonight, I delve into a half bottle of Super Juice Solution. 

This has had time to warm a little while Jennie spilled her fangirl all over the blog (and I vegged out to Trailer Park Boys). A long day doing factory work deserves beer. This past week and a half has not been easy. Fucking end of month, fucking end of fiscal quarter. It's a day like this that makes me appreciative of the craft beer industry; letting me temporarily forget the sheer hell that I inflict on myself, reaping the rewards of flavor after enduring a gauntlet of mental and physical agony day in and day out. I've been looking forward to this since Jennie sent me a text that we were reviewing this tonight. Today was exceptionally rough, but not to bore you, don't ever work in a factory. Please make me that promise. I'm not yet 30, but I'm in constant pain. Learn from my mistakes.

I seem to have deterred, venting about the disdain I have for my job. I seem to be forgetting about my 'fun' job: reviewing beer in a sheer Gonzo style. Then I get sidetracked by Spotify fucking with my music selection with ads (I'm too cheap to get "Spotify Premium"). Go fuck yourself stamps.com ad, I'm trying to veg out to music.

I'm a dick. I'm an asshole, a stuck-in-my-ways douche. I poured my half into a shaker pint. I can't leave my time-tested ways of my Flying Dog glass, though. She and I have all kinds of memories together (Oh, all the brews she's released into my mouth). Judge me if you want, I'll suffer the wrath of Saison Man when I meet him. Regardless, this is what I'm doing.

This, as previously mentioned, has warmed up. It's a hazy pale orange/golden color with still some head sticking around, reminding me to drink this instead of being Dicky Fucking Betts and rambling (the WORST Allman Brothers Band song if you catch the reference, Duane-era was the best). The aroma on this is a heavenly paradise of freshly-cut grapefruit, tropical fruits and sour apple (as previously mentioned by She-Who-FanGirls). The aroma hasn't changed from Jennie's depiction of it. Time for the true test, the flavor. The initial sip is interesting. Peach, Mango, and Tropical fruits take a forefront while a weird, dank yeast flavor dances in the background. They play well together. Jennie described it as barnyard, I don't get barnyard, as much as, well.... Fuck, I can't really say (for the safety of the kids)... Working on a farm growing up, I can say it's not barnyardy. The flavors blend well with the slight puckering, phlegm-inducing sour notes that gives memories of housing on Shock Tarts and War Heads until my tongue was bleeding. This drinks smooth until the sour note kicks in, then it is almost "Chewy?" (reference to The Simpsons episode where Homer becomes a food critic and is consulting the dog for descriptions).

This is my second TRiNiTY brew, I'm looking forward to trying more. They are interesting to my palate. They are something off the radar, so-to speak, from my norm. I've done due diligence in training my taste buds to pick out malt and hops, but this is a whole other realm. 

4.6/5 Caps

-Nathan-

Food pairing: I totally want to use this beer in a citrusy vinaigrette toss with some fresh spring greens.
Cheese pairing: Butterkasse
Music pairing:   Frank Turner "Wanderlust" (hint)

Behind the Tap Presents: Jason Yester of Trinity Brewing

Photo credit: Trinity Brewing

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"Behind the Tap Presents:" will be a series of interviews with various brewers, musicians, and other wonderful people within this glorious industry. 

Last year, it seemed, every time we turned around, Trinity Brewing of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was bestowed with another award. Trinity produces all things saison and the company is also extremely environmentally focused. We had the opportunity to interview Jason Yester, self-proclaimed Captain of the Pirate Ship at Trinity (also known as founder, owner, president, and head brewer). Jason has always fascinated us; he is a masterful artist of yeast, and has a pretty unique view of the world at large and brewing in particular. He was very kind and generous to take time out of his insanely busy schedule to respond to our questions while releasing his beers to New York City this week. While Trinity's beers started appearing on Columbus, Ohio, shelves this week, the release parties are scheduled for next week (schedule below).

Behind The Tap: Why Columbus? I mean, we know we are the 16th largest city in the country and our beer scene rocks, but most of the rest of the country lumps us in with flyover country. You recently released beers to Seattle, which has a decent beer scene, too. What drew your attention to our corner of the universe?

Jason Yester: I honestly don't look at a city and think about the beer scene too much when I look towards new territory.  I will be honest in stating that my personal career is rooted in science, however I feel like our beers have evolved past science and into an approach with more conviction towards a creative culinary approach.  What specifically attracted me towards Columbus is how well rooted the food scene is, specifically the farm-to-table dedication of the city... I was impressed to say the least. 

BTT: What did the pint glass do to you? You started #killthepintglass.

Jason: The 'shaker pint glass' has compromised beers for much too long already, and I refuse to be graceful in this response!  I don't think I've ever seen a wine poured into a 'shaker pint,' nor have I ever heard anyone complain about wine served in a stemmed glass...  beer is just as complex of a drink.  As a sincere brewer, we work extremely hard on every level of creating beer in a very real artistic direction.  Pouring all of that effort into a 'shaker pint' compromises the beer immediately: head retention, presentation, and loss of aromatics.  There are such better ways to experience a beer, and using the proper glass is a completion of that journey.

BTT: One thing we often hear about larger breweries is that consistency is key if you want to make it big. What do you do to ensure consistency within each batch?

Jason: Past the theme of a recipe, we pay almost no attention to consistency, Trinity is by heart a 'Saison' brewer, we specifically rely more specifically on 'live performance' from our brewers and their inherent talents rather than replication of a product.  Because of that approach, each time we brew a beer there are a large amount of factors we have to be flexible with.  We use a blend of at least 3 different yeasts for each of our beers, and as we re-crop the flavor definitely changes... We are also at the mercy of fresh harvests, which sometimes provide more than we need, or less than we need.  Those harvests can also vary in flavor dramatically from season to season, and we just have to roll with it and make a beer.  What you receive in a bottle of Trinity beer is true 'Live performance,' from folks who pay an unrealistic level of attention to raw materials, because we like that challenge.

BTT: Trinity Brewing is releasing a limited number of beers to Columbus. We'd love to hear the thought process that went into which beers to send here. Do you have any anecdotes to share about the beers coming to Ohio distribution?

Jason: We've opened up the choice for our distributor, 17th Star, to carry very small allocations of most of our line up.  Our company model is low volume/wide distribution ..... and when the beer is gone, it's GONE ;).  Several of the beers in our portfolio are only brewed once a year.  My goal is to send 4-5 shipments annually to C bus.

BTT: What do you say to a potential customer who has never had a saison or a sour beer? Worse, what do you say to the person who doesn't love sour beers?

Jason: I normally ask them what their favorite beer is to drink, then I like to place a similar beer we make in front of them and gently blow their mind.

BTT: Which beer drove you over the ledge and made you Saison Man?

Jason: I am not sure it can account a single beer for that ledge ... there are many factors past beer that lead into being a Saison brewer.  I've personally sold a good amount of art work, done thesis work in microbiology, grown organic gardens for 15+ years .... etc etc.... I know, it's all boring .... but, Saison is a life experience not just a beer.

BTT: We love to pair beers with music and food and cheese. Your thoughts on what would go best with each of the beers being released in Cbus? (And/or favorite brew day music?)

Jason: Man ... that is a huuuugggge conversation.  Some of our beers go best with a light flaky white fish like fluke, the cucumber saison goes best with west coast oysters, I love to pair our Black Saison Regal with chocolate cayenne mousse... sometimes I even like to pair our beers with foods only for texture matchings... there are nearly endless possibilities, and that's what makes our culinary approach towards crafting beers so much fun!

BTT: What is your favorite Columbus- or Ohio-produced beer you have had so far?

Jason: Every beer I've had from Hoof Hearted has been much past expectations, and I'd even extend to say 'exceptional.'  I haven't met the folks making the beer there, but they have a lot to be proud of :).  I've only had one beer from Rockmill, their 'straight' Saison, and it was literally shocking!

BTT: Care to give us a technical breakdown on how brettanomyces differs from saccharomyces cerevisiae?

Jason: Let's make it this as simple as possible.... the post fermentation treatment of Brettanomyces steers each strain in different directions metabolically.  Those pathways allow for serious funky changes with age.  Saccharomyces yeast flavors are mostly set after fermentation, an aged beer brewed with this yeast will only become more smooth and not specifically increase in yeast flavor.

BTT: No, for real. People want to taste and smell horse blanket and feet in a beer?

Jason: Of course!  Have you ever had a Pont l’Eveque or a Roquefort cheese? Before the advent of refrigeration, fermented foods were one of the most common ways to preserve food for long term storage.  As these foods aged, some of the flavors which only develop 'with time,' became delicacies and sought after.  Returning to more ancient yeasts/techniques in beer we should expect the same, and celebrate the effort to create the rare flavors. 

BTT: You have been brewing for a long time... unless we read your bio wrong, about the time you were legal to drink. What drove you to say to yourself, "I can make this better than anyone else?"

Jason: I did begin to brew professionally when I was 18 years old, and I've loved it .... It seems that I find another reason to love it every day too!  I wouldn't say I try to brew beer better than anyone, I think my position in this craft is to create change and inspire both drinkers/brewers artistically.

BTT:  Do you have an opinion on "brewpies"? You know, the chicks that just want to hook up with brewers, no matter that you have been a in a committed relationship for years?

Jason: These kind of ladies exist?  Hmmm.. I guess I haven't been paying attention ?

BTT: What would it take to have a beer together when you are in town? We know Dancing Kevin and we have some pretty stellar stalking capabilities.

Jason: Haha, it's pretty easy ... meet up with me at one of our launch events :)  ... here's a list:

Yellow Brick Pizza March 24

taps start at 4 we show up at 6

House Beer March 25
7:00

The Crest March 26
5:00

Growl on High March 27
7:00

Weiland's March 28
3-5

Hales Ales
7:00

BTT: Hockey or football? There is only one correct answer. (Not really. We like both.)

Jason: Football of course!! Go #PFM !!! ... I do like a double hotdog with a tall Yuengling at Bluejackets games though :) 

People at Beer Festivals Drinking Game

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Beer Festival Season is upon us.

After attending a few beer festivals (be it the annual major megafest in your state or the limited release whale party or the little local suburban tinyfest), you start to notice different types of people that are always there. Print this list and take it with you to the next big event. If you collect them all, consider yourself a seasoned veteran of the beer festival circuit (and drink an entire pint). Just don't hate us in the morning.


1) Cowboy Hat Guy

Now, while it's fashionable to wear a hat, most festival-goers stick to ball caps or military style. But not this guy. He's proudly rocking his cowboy hat as if the beer festival was a Nashville country bar. Drink one if you spot This Guy. Drink two if he's rocking assless chaps to go along with the hat.

2) The Bored Girlfriend

She has no interest in his beer geek lifestyle. She can't stand the smell or taste of beer. She's here because her friends bailed on her (Thanks, Becky). You'll be able to point her out in an instant- She looks bored and is constantly on her favorite social media site instead of taking in the sights, sounds, and tastes that her boyfriend is loving every minute of. Drink one for each Bored Girlfriend you spot. Give her a 5 ounce sample if she fakes an interest in what the boyfriend is saying and drink one with her.

3) The Mustachioed Menace

He's proud of his facial fur. He spends more time shaping and sculpting his 'stache than a teen spends getting ready for prom. And just like the teen, he's pretty sure his pristine facial pubes are getting getting him laid tonight. Well done on sharing info about which brand of mustache wax used to EVERY booth. Make him use a festival ticket to buy you a drink if you spot this guy in all his mustache wax glory.

4) The Craft Beer/Festival Noob

While I do applaud your effort on wanting to sample each and every beer from every vendor/brewery, don't throw a temper tantrum like a 3-year-old when "the one you were wanting to try all day" ran out an hour ago. If you really wanted to try it, you would have made this your first stop. If you have a 3-year-old, drink 3, one for each year. You've earned it. If you spot This Guy, grab one of his festival tickets and leave him empty-handed.

5) The "Type" Drinker

You know them. "I only drink IPAs, he only drinks dark beers." They both give you condescending looks when you describe a hoppy strong ale that drinks like an IPA despite being a dark color, appealing to both. There is no pleasing these bastards, by the way. The IPA you're pouring/drinking will never measure up to Pliny (which they've never had) and the dark beer isn't as good as Guinness. Drink two if you get them to try something out of their comfort zone.

6) The Know-It-All

There's no point in describing a beer to them, they already know everything about it. They haven't done research, they just know. They'll sometimes correct you on the ingredients and flavors they give off, no matter how wrong they are. You: "This is continuously hopped with Citra which gives it..." Them (interrupting): "No, actually. This is Hallertau-Mittelfruh, which is grown exclusively in the summer in the mountainous region in New Los Angeles, New Zealand. I can taste it."... Sigh...  Drink until you forget the conversation you had with this infuriating idiot.

 7) The "Brewpie"

A groupie of brewers. She came to the festival alone, but her hopes are not leaving alone. There are around 20-60 breweries at the event, each one having brewers and reps working.  Odds look good for her. She has done the research; she knows who the brewmaster is at each brewery, and she knows whether or not he is single. Most likely not wearing panties, she skips over any brewery owned or operated by a woman or corporation. She'll put on the charm, she'll bat her eyelashes, she'll give a little wiggle. She knows what she's doing, it's not her first time at the rodeo (unlike "Cowboy Hat Guy"). If you are available and work at a brewery, take her home. If not, buy her a drink and tell her you work at a brewery.

8) The Talker

They liked your beer. They were told by their friend that they need to try the beer. They were hesitant at first, as it's not normally a style they like, but their friend hasn't steered them wrong yet, and by golly, their friend was right again. They tell your their life story while holding up a line of thirsty people behind them. Drink three if they hate the beer you steered them to. Match their drinks just to shut them the hell up.

9) The Unfortunate Bastard

You can watch him in line. He's smiling and enjoying himself. Then BAM, his face changes to a morose, dismal look from seeing his ex with her new guy walk past him. He had a list of beers he wanted to try, scratch that. Now he just wants to get shitty drunk. I feel for him. If you're working a festival, give this guy an extra pour (and take an extra drink for yourself). If you aren't working a festival and happen across this poor bastard, drink three apiece. He's earned it.

10) The Good Times Guy

Usually mid-to-late 40's, he's shit faced and doesn't care who he bumps into. He'll try and dance with them. He'll be first in the karaoke lineup, just after he has had one too many and he's going to butcher "Sweet Home Alabama". Fuck it, it's a festival, right? He'll try and get selfies with any attractive lady. Hell, by closing time, they don't even have to be attractive. His Hawaiian shirt lets you know he IS the life of the party. Often spotted with the Wayne to his Garth. Party on, bruh. Run as far away as possible as quickly as you can and give him a high-five across the venue. Then drink three because you made it out alive. Then duck and run, and drink one more for good measure.

11) Intellectual Rednecks

They're dressed like Larry The Cable Guy impersonators; overweight with cut-off flannels exposing their hairy arms, bearded, camo ball caps. They look like they don't know anything other than Natty or Busch. DO NOT LET THIS STEREOTYPE DETER YOU! These are some of the most knowledgeable and well-spoken people at the festival. Much more knowledgeable than those condescending Hipsters, who give sideways glances to these guys as if to say "What are you doing at OUR festival?" I like these guys. Drink one with these guys. Take an extra drink if they actually work at a brewery. Chances are you won't need to do this because they will have offered you something amazing, but drink one with these guys anyway, their choice.

12) The Frat Boy Type

They roam in hordes, bro. They aren't at the festival to appreciate good beer, no, they're there to pound brews with their bros and hit on chicks. Doesn't matter what beer, doesn't matter what chick. You'll know them from the gaggle of douchebags who are all dressed the same. Drink one when you see them. Take an extra drink if they hit on you, take two if you are a guy.

13) The Beer Elitist

Paid for the VIP experience, refuses to drink anything offered because they aren't 'whales' or 100% Brett. They glide past many booths, scathingly looking down their noses, as they haven't heard of the up-and-coming breweries. Any brewery that isn't on RateBeer or Beer Advocate's top 10 or that didn't have a glowing write-up with a much-anticipated opening isn't good enough for them. Drink two if you get them to drink a "commoner" beer. Drink four if you get them to stop at the quick-refill stations for one.

14) The Hipster

You know the person. Sporting skinny jeans, a flannel, Chuck Taylors, black horn-rimmed glasses, and (if a guy) a plethora of facial hair, ever-so-carefully groomed. May overlap with the Mustachioed Menace. Technically, they may cross-breed with most other types on the list, but this one. This guy had the 2008 barleywine from X brewery in 2007. Probably listening to some obscure band on Spotify and not listening to you, spewing wisdom of the various brews available. Drawn to the PBR booth like a mosquito to a bug zapper between limited release cask beers. Choose target friend to give a drink for each hipster spotted. Take it back if they are a brewer.

Food pairing: Pretzels on a necklace
Music pairing: "Sweet Home Alabama," as belted out by Good Times Guy
Cheese pairing: Nacho cheese on the bland-ass nachos sold at the food court
 

The Alchemist Heady Topper

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Call me Ishmael. I dare you. We are back with a vengeance, and oh, how we have missed you! If one is to make a comeback after a two-month absence, one might as well go big or go home. It doesn't get much bigger than this, right? Tonight we bring you the esteemed, the highly sought, the deservedly highly rated Heady Topper from the Alchemist in Vermont. This beer has been called the best beer in the world. The world!

If you aren't familiar with Heady Topper, it is a double IPA made in Waterbury, Vermont. Currently The Alchemist is undergoing an expansion, so this beer is even harder than normal to obtain. It is distributed according to a very strict release schedule in Vermont only, and most places sell out of Heady within hours. No, we haven't been to Vermont lately. A pilot friend picked some up on a recent trip there and was kind enough to share it with me. It comes in a 16-ounce can, and you are encouraged to drink it straight from the can, which I fully intend to do. I did pour a little out for photographic purposes, just for you and well, because its color is utterly gorgeous.

We have talked about it long enough. I need this in my life right now, so let's just get to it. The color of this is the most beautiful pale color I have seen in a DIPA. It pours a beautiful pale orange with a little chill haze when you pour it straight from the fridge. As mine has warmed while typing this so far, it has developed into a gorgeous pale straw color that is pretty translucent. If I didn't know what I was about to drink, I would guess a pilsner (and oh, how delightfully wrong I would be!). Confession: this isn't my first Heady Topper. Oops. Sorry. There was a finger or so of fluffy white head atop this as I poured a bit, but it dissipated immediately. The aroma on this is amazing (OK, that's another reason I poured a little bit into a glass, so that I could get a better idea of the aroma). Mango, papaya, passionfruit, grapefruit, a hint of pine all waft past my nose and lure said schnozz into the beer. I've licked worse things off my nose. Taking a sip, each of those are present in the taste, along with a lovely light cracker note that serves as a reminder that this is no session IPA. This is a wonderfully complex IPA, with each sip delivering a different layer of delight. The exotic fruits, the citrus, the pine, the utter deliciousness all come in waves across the tongue. There is very little, if any, perceived bitterness, not at all what many averse to IPAs would expect. It's also not overly sweet, like so many DIPAs tend to be. The body on this is perfectly balanced, not too heavy, not too light. This tastes like superior craftsmanship in every sip. This might be the best DIPA I have ever had.

When we first had the opportunity to have this, we put it next to Fat Head's Hop Juju and Bell's Hopslam, my favorite beer. Heady Topper was head and shoulders above both. We recently brewed a DIPA for a competition, and I shot the moon on it. I wanted it to be better than Pliny the Elder or Heady. I think it's better than Pliny, and we will see how it stands up to Heady. I don't expect it to be quite as good as Heady, but we will see.

5/5 caps

-Jennie

As Jennie eloquently said, WE'RE BACK BABY! To let you loyal readers know what has been happening, well, Porn Maker 5000 (former computer) totally shit on us. We've been looking for a computer that screams out to us, but nothing has yet. We're temporarily borrowing our neighbors' XP-based computer, trying not to use it too much (only things we've downloaded have been 3-4 pictures, OpenOffice and Google Chrome browser). Not our computer, not ours to put 4 ½ months of music on. Countless hours of work and homebrewing has consumed our time.

Enough about us, you don't care about our banter. You care about the beer and what our opinions are on it.

I pulled this out of the fridge about 10 minutes ago to let it warm up. I, too, am going to drink straight from the can on this. I'm also doing a palate cleanser of Burger after an IPA, a hoppy red ale and dinner of corned beef.

Why drink from the can? Well, the giant letters at the top of the can tell you to. What else does the can tell you?

“Heady Topper is an American Double India Pale Ale. This beer is not intended to be the biggest or most bitter. It is meant to give you wave after wave of hoppy goodness on your palate. Tremendous amounts of American hops will creep up on you, and leave you with a dense hoppy finish in your mouth.

So drinkable, it's scary.

Sometimes I wish I could crawl right into the can. Freshness and control have always been my main concern when it comes to our beer. We are committed to providing you with an unfiltered and unpasteurized hop experience.

Why do I recommend that you drink it from the can?

Quite simply, to ensure a delightful, hop experience. The act of pouring it in a glass smells nice, but it releases the essential hop aromas that we have worked so hard to retain. If you MUST pour it into a glass, you may find that some of the hop resins have settled to the bottom- leave them in the can while pouring. This beer is perishable, and at its best when it is young, fresh and hazy.

Keep it cold, but not ice cold.

Drink this beer immediately, we are always making more.

John Kimmich

The Alchemist

Waterbury, Vermont

DON'T BE A D-BAG, RECYCLE THIS CAN!”

Yes. I enjoy reading the text on bottles and cans. I picked up this habit from the delightfully humorous text on the labels of Flying Dog (but if I delve deep into my psyche, it probably stems from reading the 'flavor text' at the bottom of Magic: The Gathering cards. Yes, I enjoyed the game, don't judge).

Ok, that killed time and allowed this to warm up. As I crack it open, I'm entranced by citrus, tropical fruit, and faint hints of pine in my olfactory senses while my auditory senses are being blasted by Frank Turner's “I Am Disappeared” through the ear buds. We are electric pulses, yes indeed, Frank, but right now, my nose feels like it was just plugged into a light socket. The enjoyable onslaught of hop aroma makes me forget all of life's worries. WHY IS THERE NOT A CANDLE THAT SMELLS LIKE THIS?!?!?!?!

As this gently slides down my throat (HA! That's what she said), the hop oils start taking a stranglehold on my tongue, pummeling it with a fantastic array of tropical fruit (mango, passionfruit, faint lychee), grapefruit and a tinge of pine. This isn't bitter in the least, no, my friend; just fantastic flavors blasting your taste buds and coating your tongue in a awesome resin. The resin leaves a slight stickiness, reminding you your tongue was just Hiroshima'd with hops. The alcohol of 8% really isn't noticed while sipping on this delectable brew. Holy Hopsus. This is fan-fucking-tastic.

5/5 caps

-Nathan-

Food pairing: Corned beef (biff as my dude J-Doles calls it). And cabbage, bitches. Because we're Irish-American and Jennie can't wait until Tuesday.

Music pairing: Cherubs singing

Cheese pairing: Mango habanero cheddar